Apparatus for bending steel sheets into spring leaves



Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,670,245 PATENT OFF-ICE.

EMILIO ELCORO, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

APPARATUS FOR BENDING STEEL SHEETS INTO SPRING LEAVES.

Application filed February 15, 1927, Serial No. 168,347, and in Mexico December 2, 1926.

This invention refers to the bending of several steel sheets or plates into spring leaves in a single operation.

The known apparatus consists of presses provided with moulds which effect the-curvilinear bending of the sheets; but with these apparatus it was only possible to bend one,

sheet at a time, and besides the operation of bending the sheet, it was also required to leave the sheet within the press for a certain length of time, so that it will be easily understood that in one working day the sum total of interruptions for changing sheets and the total time spent on each bending operation for a single sheet involve a big amount of time lost.

To overcome this inconvenience and to make the bending operation quicker, I utilize intermediate moulds which are placed between the press plates or aws of the bending press and which on one face (the concave) are formed in a curve that corresponds to the outer curve of the sheet when bent, and on the other face (the convex) are formed in a curve that corresponds to the inner curve of the sheet when bent.

These intermediate moulds are provided at their ends with means for bringing them closer to or further away from each other, such means being connected to the convex and concave moulds of the press.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the press;

Fig. 2 shows the same press, but with the intermediate moulds spaced in order to permit the insertion of the steel sheets;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of one of the jaws or press plates and the adjacent moulds, showing the adjustable connections therebetween.

The same reference letters, throughout the different figures, indicate the same parts.

Now, with reference to the drawing: A represents the fixed press plate, jaw or other part of the press which receives the pressure and to which is secured firmly the first mould D. F represents the intermediate moulds, which are the object of the present invention. C is the last mould which is firmly secured to the other press plate or jaw B, which is the part of the press that exerts the pressure.

In Figs. 2 and 3, E represents the free spaces between the intermediate moulds, when they are separated, these spaces receiving therein the steel plates 01 sheets which have to be bent into spring leaves.

To separate the intermediate moulds I make use of links or members 9 provided with longitudinal slots R to receive projections P therein which are of a smaller diameter than the width of the slots It, so that the links 9 are thus permitted to move freely but 21% the same time are prevented from coming 0 IVhen the press works in the direction of compression, the links 9, which are secured at one end to the intermediate moulds by means of screws h, will move together with the moulds to which they are secured, but will leave free the moulds having the projections P. lVhen the press works in the direction of expansion or release, the interme diate moulds will separate a distance equal to the length of the slots R in the links 9; and when the end of the slot reaches the projection P the corresponding mould will drag along the following one. Said links 9 may be arranged in staggered relation, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, or they may be superposed as in Fig. 3. j

I claim as my invention In a bending press, the combination, with stationary and movable press plates,a convex-faced mould fixed to one of said plates,

and a concave-faced mould fixed to the other plate; of a plurality of intermediate moulds etween the two fixed moulds, each having a convex face and a concave face, the convex face of each mould confronting the concave face of the next mould in order and conforming substantially to the curvature thereof, said intermediate moulds being movable toward andfrom one another and the fixed moulds; and connections between the opposite ends of adjacent moulds for enabling such movements and embodying, for each end of each intermediate mould, a projection signature.

EMILIO ELCORO. 

